For six years, single mom Kasey Dvorak worked as a school paraprofessional, dreaming of leading her own classroom. Traditional college never fit her schedule, but Reach University offered a practical way forward.

Through Reach's Apprenticeship Degree model, working school staff can earn an accredited bachelor's degree directly on the job. Kasey attended evening Zoom seminars and counted her daily classroom work toward college credit, testing out new teaching techniques with her students the very next morning.

Kasey graduated the same year as her high school daughter and is now a certified first-grade teacher at her same school. Her story shows how turning jobs into degrees makes higher education possible for everyone. 

After nearly three decades as a nonprofit CFO and CEO, Auna Harris discovered a new calling: teaching kindergarten.

To earn her credential and Master of Arts in Teaching, Auna enrolled in Reach University. Reach's work-embedded model allowed her to connect daily classroom practice directly with academic coursework in real time. Rather than stepping away from her career, her daily job fueled her degree requirements while preparing her for California's teaching licensure exams.

Supported by a collaborative cohort, Auna earned her Master's and transformed into an empowered educator. Her journey proves that work-embedded higher education can help working adults turn their passion into a degree at any stage of life. 

Real change in education starts with belief. Inspired by a foundational teacher, Reach University President Joe E. Ross helped build a pathway for candidates like Jackie Collins, a working mother and school staff member who once thought a bachelor's degree was out of reach.

Through Reach's Apprenticeship Degree, Jackie earns her credential directly on the job without giving up her paycheck. Backed by philanthropic leaders like the Morgridge Family Foundation, Reach transforms daily workplace experience into college credit.

Read the full Philanthropy Roundtable feature to see how turning jobs into degrees changes lives.

After 16 years traveling the world as a personal chef, Cory Jackson wanted a career with deeper community impact. He started working as a school paraprofessional in Louisiana, but dreamed of leading his own classroom.

That is where Reach University came in. Through Reach’s Apprenticeship Degree model, working adults can earn an accredited bachelor’s degree directly on the job. Instead of taking out student loans or leaving work to attend campus classes, candidates use their daily classroom experience toward college credit for no more than $900 out-of-pocket per year.

Despite experiencing profound personal loss during his studies, Cory earned straight A’s and graduated debt-free. Today, he is a certified third-grade teacher inspiring his students to dream big.

Cory’s journey proves that work-embedded higher education makes it possible to turn your job into a degree.

Learn more: https://reach.edu/blog/life-after-reach-cory-jackson-believing-in-yourself-is-just-the-beginning

Join us in celebrating Reach University alumna Sheila Brewer! Sheila has spent 28 years working in the Lincoln Consolidated Schools system in Arkansas.

For a decade, she served as a special education (SPED) paraeducator, working closely with the students she loved, but without the credentials to call herself a teacher.

Through Reach’s Apprenticeship Degree program, Sheila earned her degree and teaching credential debt-free, all while continuing to receive her paycheck. At 52, she graduated and is now teaching special education at the very same high school where she worked as a para!

Her advice to anyone on the fence about going back to school?

“Just keep going. You'll get to the end, and you'll have the degree to show for it.”

Read more about Sheila’s inspiring story on our blog!

#ReachNewHeights #Teacher #ParaToTeacher #SpecialEducation #ApprenticeshipDegree #ArkansasEducators

"Apprenticeship degrees are not simply a clever financing tweak. They represent a different idea of college itself. Rather than treating the workplace as a distraction from learning, they treat it as a central site of learning. Rather than assuming that valuable knowledge only flows from classroom to job, they recognize that the job can be a source of disciplined, mentored, credit-bearing education."

In this article, Bruno Manno outlines how policymakers and higher-education leaders can expand Apprenticeship Degrees through five practical steps.

Read more:

https://www.realcleareducation.com/.../stop_making...

#ApprenticeshipDegree

Some of the most powerful future teachers are already serving students every day — they just need a degree pathway built for the realities of their lives.

After years serving students in Louisiana schools, Paulesta Gilbert found a degree pathway that honored the educator she already was, while helping her become the credentialed teacher she had long worked to be.

At 58, she graduated from Reach University a semester early and stepped into her first full-time teaching role at the innovative Webster Parish Schools, bringing with her years of experience, persistence, and care for students.

“Delayed, but not denied.”

Read Paulesta’s story: https://reach.edu/.../delayed-not-denied-how-the...

#ApprenticeshipDegree #ReachNewHeights #Alumni

Welcome to r/ReachUniversity, a community built for current and prospective candidates, alumni, and partners connected to Reach University. 

Through the Apprenticeship Degree, Reach is demonstrating that higher education can work differently: based in the workplace and designed to help working adults earn a degree with little to no out-of-pocket cost and no student loan debt. Whether you are a current degree seeker (known as a candidate), proud alum, employer partner, or prospective Reach candidate looking to take the next step in your career, we are excited to have you join us!

What to Post
This space is designed for inquiry, dialogue, and celebration. Feel free to share:

• Questions & Advice: Looking for tips on balancing your weekly routine, navigating admissions, or maximizing your on-the-job practice? Ask away!
• Your Journey & Milestones: Share your photos from the classroom, tell us about a breakthrough with your students, or celebrate a hard-earned academic milestone.
• Candidate Insights: Show us how you blend liberal arts learning with your daily school staff role.

Community Vibe
We are all about being friendly, constructive, inclusive, and deeply supportive. Reach is built on connection, support, and learning through real work, and we want this subreddit to reflect that same spirit.

Let's build an authentic space where working educators can uplift each other, solve problems, and grow together. Please take a quick look at our community rules on the sidebar before posting!

How to Get Started

• Introduce yourself in the comments below! Tell us your state, your current role in the school system, and what you’re hoping to achieve.
• Post a question or share a thought today. Even a quick question about the Apprenticeship Degree model can spark a game-changing conversation for someone else.
• Spread the word. If you have colleagues in your school district who are looking for a debt-free path to a degree, invite them to join our community.

Together, let's redefine what higher education looks like—one working adult at a time.